Public Square With a Produce Section

By

Mike Vilensky

Dec. 5, 2012 9:50 p.m. ET

Adrian Benepe, the former New York City parks commissioner, has spent countless hours at civic hubs like Central Park and Washington Square. But lately, when he wants to pass the time at a public space, he heads to Whole Foods Market.

"I find I go to Whole Foods just to hang out, do some work, send some emails," said Mr. Benepe, who served as parks commissioner for 10 years. "In the winter, or when it's raining, or when it's cold, a public park may not be the nicest place to be, so you have a private space that welcomes people and functions like a public space."

For Mr. Benepe and many other New Yorkers, Whole Foods has emerged as the latest makeshift civic plaza. For the cost of a coffee or nothing at all, city dwellers can people-watch, search for love or charge a smartphone at a supermarket known for its healthy food. At the same time, the supermarket chain is grappling with some of the same issues as actual city parks, including loiterers, drug use and the homeless.

In recent years, Starbucks has been the best-known business in New York to serve inadvertent public functions. Its stores allow noncustomers to use bathrooms and have evolved into hangouts. Reports have spread that some Starbucks workers have grown frustrated with the bathroom policy, but a company spokeswoman denied that any restrooms have been closed to the public with the exception of "rare cases at large stores with two restrooms," where one is reserved for employees.

But Whole Foods offers more than a bathroom. Unlike other local supermarkets, every Whole Foods in the city except the Chelsea location has a spacious seating area, and the company has no formal policy regarding its use. There are seven locations in the city and plans to open more—including its first Brooklyn locations in Williamsburg and Gowanus—by 2014.

"We know there are people who come in and don't buy anything, or maybe buy a cup of coffee," said Michael Sinatra, a spokesman for Whole Foods in the region. "I'm sure there are folks who bring their own lunch, or come in just to use the bathroom. And if they can come into our store and enjoy the experience, that's something we're very proud of and cater to."

Mr. Sinatra said the chain develops new locations with local demographics and interests in mind. When the Upper West Side store opened in the home of a former jazz club, it kicked off with a free jazz series.

Ronen Verbit, an artist, compared Whole Foods to a nightclub. "I've joked to friends: 'Did you know that in addition to being a place where attractive people meet each other, Whole Foods sells food?' " he said.

Mr. Verbit said he met a girlfriend after smiling at her by the prepared-foods area.

Bianca Caampued, a dating columnist and publicist, describes Whole Foods as her place of solace. After a recent breakup, she said, "I got really drunk, and then I wandered around the aisles aimlessly and met new people."

Jessica Coen, an East Village resident who edits the women's website Jezebel, touted the convenient toilets. "Whole Foods is the new Starbucks for me," she said. "It's where I pop in to use the restroom."

But the supermarket's burgeoning status as a hangout has come with difficulties as well.

At the Whole Foods on Houston Street, police said a man was arrested for displaying a fake firearm while shouting, "Go ahead, call the cops."

Allicette Torres, a 40-year-old Harlem resident, recalled seeing "a homeless guy in front of me who paid in pennies for exactly the same wine as me."

ENLARGE

Whole Foods in Union Square, above; the grocery chain's cafes have become popular gathering spots.
Lauren DeCicca for The Wall Street Journal

There have been 135 arrests in or near the Columbus Circle location in the first nine months of 2012, according to police statistics. The Upper West Side supermarket has recorded more than 50 arrests in that span. While nearly all came as a result of shoplifting, both stores also saw arrests for selling drugs outside.

Sandy Danto, a comedian who has spent time at the TriBeCa location, said he has seen "syringes and strung-out dudes" in Whole Foods' bathrooms.

Marc Sebastian Faiella, a 21-year-old fashion student who frequents the Houston Street store, recalled tripping over an apparent drug user in a bathroom stall. "It was annoying for me," he said.

On Sunday afternoon at the supermarket's Union Square location, about 10 women waited for the restroom in a line that stretched down the hall. The tables in the second-floor cafe were filled, many of them with 20-somethings drinking coffee and catching up with friends before the workweek. Others were standing, waiting for a table or just observing the scene.

On a bench near the restrooms, a woman with luggage sat draped in blankets, asleep.

Paul Johnson Calderon, a designer of bow ties, has even coined a term for the crowds that linger: "The Loiterrati." He explained: "It's a very New York thing. People seem to feel comfortable just hanging out there."

Mr. Sinatra, the company spokesman, said the policy was as tolerant as possible while ensuring customer safety. "We know it's a big city, and we try not to remove anyone if we don't have to," he said. "It is at each store's discretion to decide how their cafe is used in the event that the space is being taken advantage of or used in an inappropriate way."

After superstorm Sandy, Whole Foods reaffirmed its status as part of urban public life as people charged phones and pecked at laptops inside the cafes.

Yoli Ouiya managed to shop at the Houston Street location while it was powered by a generator, a few days after the storm. "I was relieved that it was open," she said. "It provided a sense of normalcy."

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